MASK: Legacy Saga 2: Death Becomes Her
Chapter 9
Author's Note: Another Hats Off to my co-author Lisa this chapter, for yet another excellent show of Buddy's underground roots. We both enjoy the chance not only to develop our own characters, but showcase some of MASK's lesser used characters and characteristics. Thanks again to everyone for all the reviews…it's nice to see all of your different point of views on our 'little' Saga here. And as our anonymous friend wfd pointed out, there is indeed more action coming soon.
Roxanne found herself trying to feign interest in the debriefing going on around her, but all she could think about was the nightmare of a mission she was currently stuck in. Watching her father and Scott treat Annie like a princess was nothing compared to these hillbilly mountain men who seemed to revere her as a goddess on Earth. As soon as the team pulled up to the Ranger Station, they all wanted to how she was doing, where she was, and would she be coming back. That was enough to make her sick, but then the 'looks' started as soon as her father had made the introductions. She knew that Annie had poisoned all of their minds with stories, but she tried not to let that bother her and concentrate on the mission. A few of the Rangers actually made it easy for her by ignoring her completely, like the commander who looked like a younger version of her father, and the black guy…Hurt, Burt, Harp…whatever his name was. A couple of them at least pretended to be polite, like the blond paramedic, Robin, and the other blond who didn't look like her father…Dizzy, Tizzy…something like that. It was the other three who were making her feel like the latest freak show to ride in with the circus. The Indian kept giving her this even gaze that seemed to be shooting right through to her inner self, while the other dark-haired guy, Cupboard, Cutout, Cutoff, didn't bother to hide any of his distrust when he looked at her. And it didn't help that Jess was standing besides her, constantly directing her 'come hither' look his way. Even so, she didn't think any of that compared to the Commander's brother, who topped any of the Rangers on the ever-growing "We hate Roxy" list. He stood toward the front of the group, near his brother, but made absolutely sure to keep Roxy in his line of vision at all times, so that he could submit his intense dislike to her in direct waves. Roxy simply plastered a smile on her face and stared back at him, wondering to herself how far his and Annie's partnership went. She's probably sleeping with him, too. Just wait until I tell Scott that his precious girlfriend not only almost got him killed, but is cheating on him too.
Her father's voice jerked Roxanne back into awareness, and she looked to see that it was actually Ranger Commander Hawkes speaking. Not only did the two Matts look alike, but they also spoke in the same calm, even tone.
"That's the general situation we faced the first time out, Matt. I'm definitely willing to defer to your higher authority on this one, and we'll assist you however we can."
Matt Trakker looked at the police file and the topographical maps showing on Rhino's vid-screen thoughtfully, then replied. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to defer to your knowledge of the area, at least until Annie…"
Motorcycle engines cut off the rest of his sentence, as did booted footsteps coming up the walk of the makeshift command center. Annie's uniformed figure appeared in the doorway, but her sentence died on her lips as two pairs of blue eyes and two blond heads looked up to regard her, wearing the same knowing smile she'd seen from both of them separately.
"That's uncanny…" she muttered while blinking and shaking her head to clear it. She then walked over and stood between the two commanders as she added, "I'm already tired and you two are making me dizzy. Separate."
Matt Hawkes tried to hide a grin as he stepped to one side. "I just finished debriefing your team on the situation, Annie."
Roxy couldn't help a derisive snort at that comment. "Her team…HA."
Jess elbowed her hard in the ribs in warning. "Roxy!"
Matt Trakker looked as though he was going to make a reply, but Annie beat him to it by transfixing Roxy with the calmest and iciest stare she had. Most of the Rangers could feel the rippling undercurrent of anger beneath it as Annie snapped, "Scott's not able to lead, so I'm taking command of this mission. If you have a problem with that, the highway is right outside, and I'd be more than happy to have someone escort you the whole way down it."
It seemed like no one breathed for a few moments, as the two rivals remained locked in harsh gazes of silent comment. Roxy relented first as she broke the silence, "And miss a chance to see you screw this up, no way."
"If that's all you're waiting for, then you are wasting your time," Annie retorted sharply, "because I'm not about to let this mission fail. NOBODY is going to try and send weapons through MY mountains, hurt the people I love, and then think they can get away with it a second time. So if anyone else has a problem with my command, you better leave now."
Annie's eyes drifted challengingly around a command center full of completely stunned faces, but nobody moved. She looked lastly toward the twin team commanders, both of whom wore the same look of absolute approval.
"I'd say that's a unanimous 'no'," Cody Hawkes said quietly as he tried to hide a satisfied smirk.
"Good," Annie said in a slightly softer tone, with a slight smile her partner's way. "Then let's get this plan into motion. We should be able to build off what we did previously without too many modifications."
Ranger Commander Matt spoke up, "I agree. We'll be covering the same ground since there's only one mountain road that leads out to the airfield. You'll also have more leeway than we did, since you won't have to worry about what jurisdiction you're in."
"The airfield is on the California side, probably about ten miles outside the mountains proper," added Ranger Tim Hart as he teased with a grin, "You can let 'em think they're getting close before you bust 'em up."
"That would give us more maneuverability if we had to engage their vehicles in battle," mused Matt Trakker.
Annie focused the map's image on the mountain road and the airfield as she said, "Okay, let's give them no more than five miles of distance outside the Sierras. That leaves us another five miles before they actually reach the airfield and the rest of the reinforcements they're bound to have waiting there."
"You want me to take the bird up, Annie?" asked Ranger Frank Avila, the team's pilot.
"Yeah, get an Eagle Eye view of the situation?" Jim Cutler quipped with a mischievous grin.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Jess interjected. Both Cutler and Annie's heads turned her way as she added, "Switchblade alone would be too much for a normal helicopter, let alone if Manta took to the air as well."
Annie grimaced at the mention of her mother's vehicle. To Avila, she replied, "She's got a point. I don't want to risk anyone else getting hurt unnecessarily. Your Eagle Eye will be a better help from the ground."
"It's your flight, Phoenix," Avila answered with his soft smile.
"We're gonna need more air support then," Roxy piped in. "Dad isn't going to be able to take the heat by himself."
"As soon as Dad takes care of a few arrangements for me, he'll be up to take care of that," Annie said calmly as she turned back to the map on the screen in front of her. Certain areas of the map highlighted themselves as she keyed in some particular coordinates. She paused thoughtfully, then turned back to Matt Trakker.
"I think I'm going to want Thunderhawk in position a little closer to the airfield, probably about seven miles out from the border of the mountains. Matt," Annie indicated the Ranger Commander with a smirk, "can guide you up there from the air. Once you've done that," she turned her full attention to the Ranger leader, "I need you to start scouting the area for us as you head back toward the Nevada side. Don't worry about jurisdiction, I don't plan on any of you getting caught in the line of fire."
"Yes, ma'am," Matt Hawkes replied with a smile.
"Hart," The dark skinned second in command of the Rangers looked up at Annie as she spoke, "that's going to leave you in charge down here. I'd like you to coordinate with Lake Tahoe Law Enforcement and get a roadblock set up as soon as we pass the border, just in case any stragglers double back."
"You got it, Annie," Hart said affirmatively.
"Izzy." Annie had almost forgotten about the other blond Ranger since he had been so quiet during the whole briefing. She grinned affectionately at him as she asked, "I need you to keep things in order here at the Station in case anything arises. You'll also be here in case Hart needs any help."
"Sure, Annie, but I don't think I'll be able to handle the desk as well as you," Izzy grinned back.
"You'll be fine, just go easy on the coffee. If Contra World doesn't kill us, I sure don't want your coffee to."
A round of laughter erupted from the Rangers, easing some of the tension in the room. Annie mouth twitched into a lopsided grin before she settled back into her command mode. She glanced over at Robin and Jess, who just happened to be standing relatively close to each other. "Robin, I need you to stay and coordinate with Hart, as well as keep in contact with Jess. If things start to get ugly, we're going to need both of your medical experience."
Robin nodded her consent and acknowledged Jess with a small smile while Annie moved along to her next thoughts.
"Jess, you'll be stationed in Rhino with Bruce and Alex." Bruce and Alex both looked up at her. "I plan on you being the last ones to head out of here, and our first line of defense if anyone doubles back or we need extra weapons support."
"Roxy…"
Annie's voice made her rival jump in surprise. She had been toning out most of the commentary of the briefing as she tried to ignore all the ingratiating looks of complete awe and support Annie was generating. Reluctantly, she brought herself back to the present and tried to pretend to give Annie her full attention.
"I want you stationed on Sentry Duty at our magical five mile halfway point. You're going to be our advanced warning system, so make sure you pay attention."
"Yeah, sure," Roxy snorted, "as soon as I figure out how to get up there."
"Don't worry, I'll be right there to lead you."
Roxy's eyes widened, then narrowed dangerously in suspicion when Annie explained the rest of her plan.
"Cody, I need you to ride up with me on Phoenix. As soon as we get Roxy in position, we'll meet up with Thunderhawk. You and your brother will be scouting parallel to each other on different sides of the road as you head back to the station."
"Partners as always," Cody said as he smiled at Annie.
"Cutler, Avila, that leaves you two to scout from the Nevada Border outward. Try to stay within a three mile radius."
"Aye, aye, Captain," Cutler imitated a pirate as best he could while Avila simply rolled his eyes and nodded confirmation.
"I think that covers everything for now…" Annie turned to the two commanders who simply smiled and waited for her to finish up the briefing. "We can incorporate any changes that may come along later. Does anyone have any questions?"
A chorus of shaking heads and 'no's' emerged from around the room. Annie nodded and tried to meet everyone's eyes as she gave one last encouraging statement. "You don't know how much it means to have both my teams pulling together and working with me. Let's get our final preparations in order and make sure we stop these bastards for good."
"Here, here!" practically everyone chorused as they filed out of the briefing area.
Annie stopped Matt Hawkes before he could get too far. "Matt, I need another minute."
"Sure, Red."
She transfixed her commander with her most serious look. "I'm sure that this goes without saying, but I don't want any of the Rangers putting themselves in the line of fire. You guys are here to help us with reconnaissance, not to fight our battle. I don't want any unnecessary heroics."
"That goes double for you then," Cody said from beside his brother as he steadied his own serious look on Annie. "Getting yourself killed isn't going to make anything any better for anyone."
He's been reading my mind again. He knows how nervous I am about this mission, leading the team, and Scott. Annie just smiled and said, "Fine. I'll only use necessary heroics."
"I'm serious, Annie."
"Me too, Cody."
They locked gazes for a few minutes before he relented and slid a brotherly arm around her shoulders. "I see you brought one of your rifles with you, let's make sure it's sighted in properly," he said as he and Matt led her outside.
From her vantage point on Chameleon, Roxy watched Annie and Cody intently, vowing that she wasn't going to let the flirtatious bitch hurt her brother anymore than she already had.
Back in Las Vegas the city that never sleeps, Buddy was surprise to get immediate feedback from his old colleague Leo. Apparently Casanova was more than eager to meet with him. It was clear that the recent set back in his operations resulted in a few of his clients terminating their contracts. Buddy also figured the man was desperate to get rid of his inventory, before the police manage to find more substantial evidence regarding his underground business. Or in a worst case scenario his cover would already be blown and this was just a joy ride leading to his death.
Leo eyed his friend curiously who was lost in thought as they awaited the limo to pull up to the Sandbar Casino, "You nervous or something?"
Buddy's eyes drifted to Leo, "Naaa this is nothing compared to a lot of stuff I've been through. It's just a lot of thing are riding on this deal."
"No kidding, don't forget I want to be paid for being the middle man in this. I don't do favors for free."
Buddy patted the briefcase on his lap, "Don't worry my employer pays well. I just hope Casanova can hold up his end of the deal that's all."
Once the limo arrived at the Sandbar Casino, the two men were escorted to very classy suit at the top floor of the casino. Two muscle men patted the gentlemen down for concealed weapons, then cleared them with a reassuring nod towards their boss. Leo waited outside the room, while Buddy headed into the lion's den.
Charles Casanova sat back on an expensive white leather couch puffing a Cuban cigar. "Well so this is the man who offered me a deal, I can't even refuse."
Buddy shook the man's hand as he offered and sat down across from him. "Believe me money isn't the issue here…it's your credibility to offer the goods my client seeks."
"That is understandable."
"Is it?" Buddy remarked, "Besides the recent bust in the Sierras, in the past, several of your employees have been picked up by law officials during and after drops."
"You've done your homework," Casanova remarked as he blew smoke into Buddy's face. "I don't claim to have the best operations, in fact this business itself is based on those calculated risks. I can see why you're uncertain, but I assure you there will be no more room for failure. You see as we speak I got another shipment underway for a very top-notch client Contra World. Familiar with them?"
"Who isn't?" Buddy remarked unimpressed.
"When the shipment arrives at its destination, I'm hoping that it will re-instill your confidence and trust that I'm the man you want to do business with."
"We'll see."
"Now shall we get down to business? I've noticed a lot of the weapons you requested just so happen to be ones I've already acquired. Another reason why it would be in your client's interest to invest with me."
"You've made a considerable point, sir." Buddy place his briefcase on the table. "But there is something else my client wishes that I haven't disclosed yet."
"That would be?" Charles grew more curious as he noticed Buddy opening the briefcase.
Buddy fiddled with the numbers on the locked case until they match 645, then pressed the open switch. A heavy puff of white smoke emitted from all sides of the case. Buddy pulled a dampen cloth from his jacket pocket and covered his nose and mouth. The two guards in the room had their guns out, but before they could fire they slump to the ground. Casanova attempted to flee the room, but since he got a healthy dose of the gas he fell flat on his chubby stomach. Another guard outside the room attempted to break-in believing a fire just broken out, but Leo hit the guy on the back of the head rendering him unconscious.
"Not a bad job, Hawks?" Leo remarked dragging the recently knocked out man into the room and locking the door behind him.
Buddy grabbed Casanova and dragged him towards the outside balcony, "Yeah well it's not over yet, cause those guys aren't gonna be out for too long." Buddy pulled out a gun hidden under Casanova's jacket, then ran some smelling salt against his nose. He jerked awake and attempted to push Buddy away, but he had a gun pointed directly between his eyes.
"You won't get away with this." Charles stated making a last attempt to stay brave.
"News flash, I already have. Your men are knocked out, nobody gonna hear you scream from all the way up here."
"I…I can't believe this." He could see Leo in the background, "You betrayed ME!"
Leo smiled as he finish tying up the leftovers, "Putting ya out of business, actually earns me a profit."
"I'll…I'll pay you double…no triple whatever he's paying you. I have more money than that lying piece of shit."
Buddy cock the gun slightly to regain Casanova's attention, "This isn't about him. This is about you threatening my family."
"I swear I don't know what you talking about," He mumbled as sweat dripped down his face.
"Oh let me refresh your memory. You put a hit out on a ranger. I want you to remove the price you put on her head."
Charles just shook his head terrified.
Buddy threw a punch to the man's face causing blood to drip down his nose, "I said your gonna call the hit off!"
"I…I…I can't."
"What do you mean CAN'T? Can't or won't?"
"I…I'm not the one."
"SPEAK UP!" Buddy pressed the gun harder to the man's head.
"I'm not the one who ordered the hit."
"THEN WHO!"
"A woman."
"What woman?"
"I can't they'll kill me if I say anything."
"Well I'll kill you right now, if you don't."
"Her name is…is Roxy. That's all I know, let me go."
Buddy stood there blinking, Roxy? That can't be right. This must be some sort of trick. "You seriously expect me to believe that some chick name Roxy wants my ranger friend dead?"
The man trembled and covered his face, "I swear…the girl name is Roxy."
"YOU'RE LYING!" Buddy struck the guy repeatedly the gun, until Leo pulled him back.
"Relax, Buddy. I haven't seen you so tense like this before. If you ask me, the man's ready to piss his pants. He's telling the truth. Your gut tells you this too. So why are you continuing this? It going nowhere."
"It can't be her."
"What you know this Roxy chick?" Buddy just remained silent. "Figures," Leo sighed.
Buddy put the gun away and pulled the man up by his suit jacket, "Listen good and well. IF I find out you made this crap up, I will personally come back here to kill you. IS THAT CLEAR!"
The man nodded in terror. He then threw the guy aside and headed towards the elevator angry.
Leo scrambled to catch up with Buddy, "I seriously thought you were gonna beat that man to a bloody pulp."
"I considered it." He replied coldly concealing the gun behind his back.
"I take it your not gonna stick around for the after party."
"No, I have to pay somebody a visit." He remarked in a deeply serious tone.